National Security College courses are developed and facilitated by experienced officials seconded from the Australian Government, with input from our academic staff. The college’s unique nature as a Commonwealth-ANU partnership allows us to assemble a high level mix of academic expert and policy practitioner perspectives. These comes from an unparalleled register of more than 400 experts and serving or former policy leaders from around Australia, with the option of bringing in international expertise as well.

Each program draws on leading authorities from around Australia and internationally to ensure that it involves the highest standard of policy relevant expertise. The pedagogical approach emphasises independence and diversity of views among our presenters.

The Executive Development programs below are targeted at specific cohorts of national security professionals based on experience and seniority. The duration of courses builds from a week (Introduction) to four weeks (SES) in length. To ensure balance and diversity of participation, there are sometimes limits to the number of officials an organisation can nominate for each iteration of a program.

Introduction To Australia’s National Security Challenges and Policy Making

This one week program explores the wide range of national security challenges facing Australia and builds participants’ understanding of how individual agencies contribute to whole-of-government policy development and crisis response.
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Framing the Future: National Security EL1 Development Program

This two week practical and interactive program is designed to enhance understanding of the broader national security community, the range of current and emerging issues facing the community, and the evolving arrangements to support policy and crisis decision making by government.

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Navigating Uncertainty: National Security EL2 Development Program

This highly interactive three week program unpacks and analyses the concept of national security and provides in-depth exposure to the full range of issues and challenges facing Australia’s national security. You can expect to form and deepen broad professional networks within the national security community, and engage in a trusted environment with thought leaders and senior practitioners on national security policymaking.

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Leading in Complexity: National Security Senior Executive Development Program

This premium four week program enhances the ability of participants to identify and address, strategically and collaboratively, the emerging challenges of the national security environment by harnessing professional exchanges with Australia’s foremost government practitioners, academics and private sector leaders. The program emphasises the leadership and judgement required to negotiate a changing national security environment.

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We pride ourselves on highly interactive methodologies. Across all programs, sessions include opportunities for open and trusted interaction with outstanding policy leaders. We make extensive use of syndicate groups, panel discussions, case studies, hypotheticals and scenarios to test and develop ideas. These exercises provide participants with an opportunity to take key themes from presentations and apply them to practical questions of national security policy-making and implementation. We also internationalise the experience through videoconferencing with experts and diplomatic missions overseas.

We challenge participants to broaden their horizons while emphasising the ‘so what?’ for policy. Our course design and delivery process is built around consultation, ensuring that programs are consistent with national security practitioner expectations and requirements. Participants benefit from our highly professional course administration and logistics and dedicated course management team. Days at the NSC are full, and you can expect to be completely immersed in the learning and networking experience.

Courses are now available for registration please select a course on the date that best suits you.

Download the guide (PDF, 1.7MB)